The whole low/high-normal debate is all about preference. I have 2 MTB's, one low-normal, one high-normal. After putting a lot of miles on both setups the low-normal setup just feels more intuitive and natural.
The argument that the high-normal downshifts faster because you can "jam" the DR up the cassette is crap. The spring tension on a decent DR will create a fast and predictable shift under load.